Cedars, April 2018

April 2018 7 THE GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS: KIDS MINISTRY that is, but it’s because the Spirit of the Lord is there, and it creates this atmosphere. It’s creating opportunities for them that they wouldn’t have elsewhere. And I think be- cause we’ve built those relationships with them, with the parents also, that they trust us. There’s a safe, secure, loving environ- ment for them.” In addition to the regular weekly pro- gramming, King’s Kids also invites children to participate in special events. In the fall, a few Cedarville students drove several teenage girls out to Elizabeth- town, Pennsylvania for the Confidence Con- ference — an event organized by high school girls to encourage their peers toward deeper union with and security in Christ. Accord- ing to Laughlin, this event was hugely sig- nificant in the lives of several of the girls, because it brought them from the familiar in Dayton and their family to a new environ- ment where people are passionate about the Lord. King’s Kids is one branch of a larger refugee ministry called No Longer Strang- ers, a name Laughlin said was chosen based on Leviticus 19:34, in which God com- mands, “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” “We call our ministry No Longer Strangers because we want to bring them into our neighborhoods,” Laughlin said. “We want them to be a part of our country, our churches, our families. I think that’s how we look at the world around us, wheth- er that’s refugees or the family next door who’s not Christian. My ministry is to who- ever the Lord is bringing in to me.” This, Thompson said, is why King’s Kids focuses as much on building genuine relationships with the children as on home- work help, activities and even Bible lessons. “The best part is building the friend- ships,” she said, “and getting to know the kids and spending time with them.” Breanna Beers is a freshman Molecular Biology major and an off-campus news writer for Cedars. She loves exercising cu- riosity, hiking new trails, and quoting The Princess Bride whether it’s relevant or not. Picture provided by No Longer Strangers Cedarville students Hannah Ferris (left), Janelle Thompson (middle) and Theresa Guillory (right) with students at the Confidence Conference. Online • M.B.A. • M.S.N. • M.Min. Residential • M.Div. • M.Min. • Pharm.D. Ready to take the next step? Start nowwith dual-listed courses, and you’ll save time and money. Access the free, fast-track application just for Cedarville students: cedarville.edu/gradapply